Students created the main ingredient of AIDS medicine under USD 20

AIDS is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. At the moment, it is nor curable and we can only take steps to prevent it. If the virus finds its way to a host, it changes its genome a little bit to fight against the medication.

Also, a large portion of the infectious organisms remains dormant in the host for a long period of time. It is not possible to tell how much time it will take for the HIV virus to become active and form AIDS. This is the main reason why we are unable to find a cure for it. However, there are a number of medicines available in the market which can reduce the symptoms and allow the patient to live a near to normal life.

The Overpriced Medicine

One such medicine is Darapim which was introduced in the market some 63 years back. A couple of years back Martin Shkreil who took over the company that makes Darapim increased the price of the drug by 5000 percent. The medication which was available for USD 13.5 is now selling at USD 750. There was an outcry of amongst people but they were not able to do much about the decision. A class suit is undergoing against the decision but it is not clear how much it will take to clear the issue faced by the medicine.

A Ray of Hope

Now, a group of students from Sydney came forward with good news. They have created the life-saving ingredient of the medicine under USD 20. Dr. Malcolm Binns is the professor who helped these students in their project. The students were able to synthesize 3.7 grams of Pyrimethamine which is an active ingredient of Darapim. The drug is helpful for the patients of AIDS and malaria.

The project was a part of an experiment led by the University of Sydney’s Open Source Malaria Consortium. The medicine these students created is used to treat a deadly parasitic infection called Toxoplasmosis.

It attacks people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. It is also used by malaria patients.

The medicine which is available in the US at such a high price is only available at USD 1 and USD 2 in Australia. According to students who worked on the project, what the US Company is doing is totally unjustified and inhumane.

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